Visitors

My cousin Tammy came into town this week. Her husband Ty came to do some recruiting at BYU, so Tammy and her little boy Bryce tagged along to spend some time with her sister Emily, and of course see us cousins. :) Schedules were crazy between Emily and Brittany's work schedule, but we did manage to get a lunch date for Brittany, Tammy, and I at Brittany's house one of the afternoons. It was sooo good to see Tammy! And her little son Bryce is adorable! I love his smiles. I'm so impressed how pleasant he is when he wakes up! Wow!
Time was short and limited, but with cousins, any time = good time.

I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family. It was so great that our dads could raise their families close to each other. I value the memories and traditions we were able to establish with each other. I'm grateful for the close relationships I have with my cousins, my aunts, and my uncles. I feel like we have gone through the good, the bad, and the ugly - together. I am perfectly aware that our family is DIFFERENT! In a good way, at least for us. There aren't many families out there that are as close as our extended family is. We have gotten together every year for 30 years! (I'm not THAT old, but that's how long the family reunions have been going on.) It's always so much fun! Plus, being able to grow up near cousins allowed us to get together almost monthly, for most of my life. It's fun to see how we have grown and changed, and each new addition, whether spouse or child, is such a blessing! People marrying into the family don't just get the parents and sibling approval - they get the aunt/uncle/cousin approval! It's intimidating, but soooo fun! I wouldn't have it any other way!

I also value my cousins because of my faith and beliefs. As far as the Gospel is concerned, growing up, I did not have a lot of LDS friends. And sometimes, that is really hard. I don't remember struggling with living the values I was taught, but it was hard to live them without having people support me in the choices I made. I think that's why I value my relationship with my cousins the most.

Now, I just look forward to any time that we can have together. For some cousins, I don't get to see them often, but when we do get together, I feel like we haven't lost any time at all. Tammy is one of those. It's another person that I know I can be open with about my feelings and struggles. We got really close before she left on her mission to Hong Kong. I couldn't have gotten through that summer without her.

I'm thankful for family. I'm thankful for cousins! And I'm thankful that my cousins are more than just family to me. I'm always looking forward to the next time we get to be together. Thanks for visiting Tam!